By Dr. Pihu Sethi, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and leprosy,GIMS, Greater Noida
Holi Our skin being the largest organ of the body; demands certainly the utmost care. Holi is all about colours, with it comes the effects of harsh chemicals on the skin. Before we all set out for festival of colours; I want to remind you not to forget your precious skin care, especially for children, so that you don’t miss out the crazy fun of the festival.
Preparing the skin pre Holi-
Wash face with a mild gentle soap or cleanser like dove soap.
Hydrate with a good quality medicated moisturiser with special attention to its non comedogenic property.
Apply a generous amount of waterproof sunscreen with 30 SPF or more, well before 30 minutes of going out to play for maximum protection.
Vaseline petroleum jelly can be applied on lips and eyelids to protect these sensitive areas.
Nail and hair may get equally damaged; hence best is to oil apply oil on hair and on the nails. Virgin Cold pressed coconut oil is suggested.
It is advisable to apply moisturiser and sunscreen all over the body and wearing full clothes for better care of the skin.
Last but not the least, using natural organic chemical free colours for Holi should be used so that the side effects of hard chemicals are prevented. These contain Lead oxide, Mercury sulphate, Copper sulphate, etc, hence a watch on constituents of the colour before purchasing should be done.
Please donot play Holi with colours if you already have a skin condition as it is better to be safe than sorry.
Post Holi-
Before going for shower, gentle massage with cold pressed coconut oil is advised. Mostly colours are fat soluble and so get loosen off the skin easily.
A “not too hot, not too cold” shower should be done with mild gentle soap and shampoo.
Generous amount of medicated moisturiser within 5 minutes of bath to be applied all over the body for a few days.
Avoid potent formulated skin toners, vitamin C, retinol and exfoliating serums for a few days as they may cause dryness leading to reactions.
Avoid scrubbing or forcefully removing the left over colour as it will get off the skin spontaneously as the days pass.
Please consult a Dermatologist immediately if any burning/ redness/ swelling in skin appear post Holi.
